'LittleBigPlanet 3’: Imagining New Possibilities in Co-Op Gaming

The current trend in multiplayer games is to focus on online experiences, but sometimes you just want to crash on the couch with your favorite people for some co-op play. Even though pickings might look slim in the current crop of games, this fall has some exciting new titles in store.

One of the big surprises from Sony’s E3 press conference was the announcement of LittleBigPlanet 3. There had been no hint of a new sequel at last year’s event, but with three years since the second installment, it seems high time to check back in with Sackboy and his beautifully crafted universe.

New characters, new abilities

Three new characters will puzzle their way through the levels in the third installment. Each has unique abilities to create interesting solutions to the game’s problems.

Oddsock has a wall-jump ability that’s a natural fit for climbing to high perches. Toggle has two modes: it’s either large and heavy or very small and light. The final addition is Swoop; not only can the bird fly, it can carry another player through the air. The familiar hero Sackboy has also gotten some new gear. He’s equipped with a Pumpinator, shooting streams of water that can push aside door flaps and spin wheels.

At E3, four developers showed off the new abilities of these different characters. The level they played showcased how each of the characters' abilities work together in getting past the challenges of each level.

On the show floor, we got to play through the four-person game section they showed, as well as a short two-player mission. We saw the scripted sections from the demo with all four characters, so we didn’t have a chance to fully explore the capacity of their combined forces out in the wild of the game. But based on the previous two entries, it’s a safe assumption that the designers have a good idea of how to create multiplayer experiences to delight and amuse.

The two-player section featured Toggle, giving us a closer look at how even a solitary character can interact with the environment. Many of the puzzles involved springboards, so Toggle would need to be in large mode to depress a platform and then switch to small mode to launch himself over an obstacle.

While the game will certainly be enjoyable for a lone player, our hands-on time showed that the real joy of LittleBigPlanet 3 will come from the collaborative aspects. The two-player demo showcased all of the best things about co-op gaming. Even though we played the same character, completing the level still required teamwork. We had to talk. We had to collaborate. Being able to open up the game and tackle levels with different characters’ complementary abilities will create exponentially more chances for great co-op.

Four characters must work together to solve puzzles in LittleBigPlanet 3.

Image: Sony/Sumo

A game for everyone

It's also impossible to overlook the tonal divide between this game and many of the other big announcements at E3. In a year that focused so heavily on triple-A blockbusters and violent epics, the lighthearted charm of the LittleBigPlanet demo was a breath of fresh air.

However, just because it lacks beheadings and stabbings, it would be unfair to pigeonhole the series as no more than a family game. Sure, the art style is cartoony and the game likely will get a kid-friendly rating, but those trappings shouldn't make older players avoid the great game they're attached to.

Sumo Digital helped with the development of the original hit title, so the studio knows its way around both the style and the challenges of LittleBigPlanet. The third game will require players to utilize both creative thinking and masterful hand-eye-coordination.

Plus, our hands-on experience barely touched on one of the most compelling elements of the franchise: player-made content. As we've come to expect with the LittleBigPlanet franchise, players will be able to make levels and challenges of their own to share with other fans. Just as the presence of four characters will add new facets to the core gameplay, it will also have a huge impact on what the community will be able to dream up.

LittleBigPlanet 3 will be available this fall on both PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3.

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